OSU-Okmulgee's HVAC program selected for collaboration with Johnson Controls

At a time when nearly 22,000 positions for heating, ventilating and air conditioning technicians are unfilled nationwide, Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee is forming a partnership with Johnson Controls Inc. to increase the number of skilled HVAC graduates entering the workforce.

The collaborative program, called CAREERCONNECT, was formalized in a signing by representatives of Johnson Controls and OSU-Okmulgee on Nov. 13.

Steve Olmstead, chair of OSU-Okmulgee’s Construction Division, which encompasses the HVAC program, sees the partnership as a way to increase enrollment in the program and improve graduates’ career potential.

“The company’s contributions to OSU-Okmulgee include scholarships, instruction from industry experts, learning materials and faculty training,” Olmstead said. “This is an outstanding investment in the future of OSU-Okmulgee and our students.”

Through the CAREERCONNECT program, Johnson Controls donates resources to partnering schools to enhance their learning environments, including supplements to the HVAC program curriculum. Johnson Controls will also team with the university to educate high school students about an HVAC career. Company officials say the market value of the CAREERCONNECT program to OSU-Okmulgee is more than $15,000 over three years.

“To meet the needs of our growing service business,” said David Werts, Vice President - Northwest Region of Johnson Controls. “We are taking action that recruits and also develops the kind of talent we look for in professional service technicians. Students who graduate from the HVAC program at OSU-Okmulgee will be among the best candidates the industry has to offer in this region.”

Paul Margwarth, an instructor in OSU-Okmulgee’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology program, said CAREERCONNECT is another example of how OSU-Okmulgee’s industry partnerships have proven to be an excellent way to ensure that programs stay current and graduates are well prepared for careers.

“We know that building a successful program at the university level begins with building awareness at the high school level,” Margwarth said. “CAREERCONNECT should be a big help in building that bridge.”

Shannon Lippold, operations program manager with Johnson Controls’ Building Efficiency Group, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, explained why the company chose OSU-Okmulgee for the CAREERCONNECT partnership.

“OSU-Okmulgee’s program exemplifies one of the best Heating and Air Conditioning programs in the nation,” Lippold said. “Johnson Controls currently employs 5,000 service technicians in North America, and there are many more job opportunities for OSU-Okmulgee graduates at our numerous branches.”

Lippold also announced another aspect of the CAREERCONNECT program that includes Johnson Controls awarding a $900 scholarship to a student currently in OSU-Okmulgee’s program and a second $900 scholarship to a student in high school who will enter the OSU-Okmulgee HVAC program.

OSU-Okmulgee student Jacob Roundtree, an HVAC major from Page, Arizona, is excited about the partnership with Johnson Controls.

“There are so many opportunities in the air conditioning industry, and the CAREERCONNECT program will help students during their degree program as well as getting jobs after they graduate,” Roundtree said. “In air conditioning, there are jobs in the areas of residential, commercial and industrial. And, you can work in the control side or the construction side. There are big companies out there that are worldwide. There is a lot more for a person to do in the air conditioning industry than I imagined when I was in high school.”

OSU-Okmulgee president Bob Klabenes applauded Johnson Controls for partnering with the university.

“Through this collaboration, OSU-Okmulgee will further strengthen its position as a technical university that prepares its graduates to have recession-proof careers that pay good salaries,” Klabenes said. “HVAC technicians will always have career opportunities because heating and cooling systems are necessities in businesses and homes today. An associate degree from OSU-Okmulgee will allow graduates to advance in those careers.”

A report from the U.S. Department of Labor & Statistics states that between 2008 and 2012, there will be 22,000 job opportunities in HVAC-related skilled trades per year that will likely go unfilled. Factors contributing to the shortage include a lagging number of HVAC program graduates entering the trade, an aging workforce, and an increasing demand to transform buildings into cost-effective and efficient facilities.

Larry Beatty, service branch manager for Johnson Controls' Oklahoma City and Tulsa offices, attended the signing event and said his office's employees are very excited about this partnership to educate HVAC technicians.

“Manpower is crucial to our organization,” Beatty said. “Johnson Controls has 180 service offices across the country and provides outstanding career opportunities for graduates of this program.”

OSU-Okmulgee is one of six partnerships that Johnson Controls has established with U.S. community colleges for inclusion in CAREERCONNECT. Colleges are evaluated based on school and program demographics, including diversity statistics, curriculum and ability to modify it, geographic areas served, enrollments, placement statistics, strategies, and their relationship with Johnson Controls.